When it comes to improving the sustainability of consumer electronics, theres a growing movement to design devices with a focus on upgradability and repairability that can extend their longevity, instead of just making them easier to recycle after a few years of use.At one time, nearly every laptop maker was caught up in a race to create ultrathin designs, resulting in hardware that was difficult to upgrade and expensive to repair. But in recent years, several companies have demonstrated that laptops can be designed so that users can upgrade and easily swap out parts as needed.Innovative companies like Framework have been producing laptops that dont need to be entirely replaced every few years, and with more success than other companies previously following similar pursuits. In 2021, Dell was sued over its Alienware laptop that promised GPU upgrades, while Intel has abandoned a couple of modular hardware products, including its Compute Cards.For now, its primarily Framework leading the charge, but its success has inspired competitors like Lenovo to follow suit. As more companies dedicate R&D to the cause, Framework may one day no longer be the only brand associated with modular devices.You can stay on top of all the latest upgradable and easily repairable device news and developments right here.HighlightsToday, 15 seconds agoAndrew LiszewskiFrameworks open source RISC-V laptop mainboard is now available.Originally announced last June, the open source RISC-V mainboard that Framework developed with DeepComputing is now available for $199. Its compatible with Frameworkss 13-inch modular laptop, as well as the $39 Cooler Master case that can turn it into a desktop PC.Its powered by a StarFive JH7110 SoC processor instead of chips from Intel or AMD, but its not recommended for most consumers. Its targeted at developers and early adopters not focused on performance.Frameworks RISC-V mainboard for its Laptop 13 is now available for $199. Image: FrameworkJan 11Sean HollisterIntel still dreams of modular PCs it brought a tablet laptop gaming handheld to CESPhoto by Sean Hollister/ The VergeAt CES 2025, Intel let journalists into its private Innovation Showcase, where we saw things like prototype next-gen laptops and giant stereo 3D handheld gaming PCs.While I was there, I also spotted a heavy metal handheld on a table that didnt seem... fully attached... to its screen. When I lifted the screen, it came away easily.Read Article >Jan 6Sean HollisterDells new USB-C ports use screws instead of solder so you can fix them yourself.Dell just killed off XPS, but its new Pro laptops pull a neat trick: most USB-C ports and batteries are now officially user-replaceable.This is the first time that weve had a screwed-on, non-soldered modular USB-C port, Dell PM Katie Green tells us. She says Dell also plans to bring this to consumers when it makes sense. No word on Framework-like modularity yet.1/3The new modular USB-C port. Images: DellDec 17, 2024Sean HollisterThe Framework Laptop 16 just got a modular gadget that enables quadruple SSDsFrameworks double SSD caddy for its Framework 16 expansion bay. Image: FrameworkThe most ambitious laptop ever made just got a long-promised modular upgrade. Starting today, you can pay $39 to add two extra M.2 slots to the Framework Laptop 16 letting you potentially carry around an AI accelerator, an eGPU adapter, or a grand total of four solid state storage sticks for ludicrous capacity.As Frameworks blog post points out, the new Dual M.2 Adapter is Frameworks first new modular component since launch that takes advantage of the Laptop 16s big expansion bay around back. At launch, you only had two options: a Radeon RX 7700S discrete graphics card for extra money, or a mostly empty bay that only contained fans.Read Article >Oct 7, 2024Andrew LiszewskiYou can now accessorize your Framework laptop with Lego.If youre a Framework laptop user with access to a 3D printer youve now got an important question to ask yourself. Do you prioritize being able to accessorize your machine with Lego using this 3D-printed adapter with studs and tubes that fits into the Frameworks expansion card port? Or is adding another USB-C or HDMI port a higher priority? Decisions, decisions...Got Lego? You can use it to further upgrade your Framework laptop with this 3D-printed adapter. Image: PrintablesJun 28, 2024Sean HollisterFramework Laptop 16, six months laterMy original Framework Laptop 16 review unit, next to its replacement.In January, I spent two weeks with the most modular notebook ever made: the Framework Laptop 16. Its a gadget nerds dream: you can swap out its keyboard, touchpad, ports even its entire discrete GPU. You can transform it from a sleek work laptop to a decent gaming machine in two minutes flat, one which charges with the worlds first 180W USB-C power adapter.But at the time, I gave the Framework Laptop 16 a 5 out of 10. The product gave me multiple Blue Screens of Death, glitched, felt flimsy in places, and ran hotter and louder than its performance would suggest. Read Article >Jun 18, 2024Sean HollisterThe Framework Laptop 13 is about to become one of the worlds first RISC-V laptopsPhoto by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeWhat if your laptop didnt need a processor from an established brand like Intel or AMD? What if it didnt even rely on proprietary paid architectures like Arm and x86? RISC-V is one of the answers to those questions its free for anyone to use! and modular computer company Framework has just decided to welcome RISC-V into its laptop lineup.Specifically, Framework has partnered with DeepComputing, the company behind the very first RISC-V laptops, to build a mainboard for the Framework Laptop 13 as well. Framework already sells Intel and AMD mainboards that easily slot into its 13-inch chassis, and DeepComputing has now independently designed a new one you could drop into Frameworks laptop or even this $39 Cooler Master case that turns those boards into mini-desktops.Read Article >May 29, 2024Sean HollisterFramework now lets you upgrade its Laptop 13 with a drop-in 120Hz screen, better webcam, and Core Ultra chipImage: FrameworkI know, I absolutely stuffed this storys headline but Im just so excited to see the future of modular computing unfolding before my eyes. Framework, the company that actually delivered on the promise of an upgradable laptop, has apparently done it yet again.Not only is it now taking preorders for yet another generation of swappable mainboards to give you Intel Core Ultra chips, but the company has also developed a $39 webcam to improve the originals middling image quality and a $269 drop-in display that replaces your 60Hz, 2256 x 1504 screen with a brighter, higher-res, variable refresh rate 120Hz 2880 x 1920 panel at 256ppi that should make everything smoother and crisper.Read Article >May 7, 2024Emma RothCompression-mounted laptop RAM is fast, efficient, and upgradeableThe first laptop with LPCAMM2 memory is finally here. The folks at iFixit got their hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 7), which uses LPDDR5X memory in an LPCAMM2 module that you can upgrade or replace by simply unscrewing from the laptops motherboard.Thats a major change from existing LPDDR memory in most modern laptops. This type of memory is typically soldered onto the motherboard, making it much more difficult to upgrade. LPCAMM2 or Low-Power Compression-Attached Memory Module offers modularity without losing the power efficiency of LPDDR.Read Article >Apr 23, 2024Sean HollisterFramework wont be just a laptop company anymorePhoto by Monica Chin / The VergeToday, Framework is the modular repairable laptop company. Tomorrow, it wants to be a consumer electronics company, period. Thats one of the biggest reasons it just raised another $18 million in funding it wants to expand beyond the laptop into additional product categories.Framework CEO Nirav Patel tells me that has always been the plan. The company originally had other viable ideas beyond laptops, too. We chose to take on the notebook space first, he says, partly because Framework knew it could bootstrap its ambitions by catering to the PC builders and tinkerers and Linux enthusiasts left behind by big OEMs and partly because it wanted to go big or go home.Read Article >Apr 15, 2024Sean HollisterThe Framework Laptop has a firmware update problem but maybe not for long?I didnt realize itd failed to deliver so many updates til I read this Ars Technica story. The good news: hardware partner Compal now has a whole firmware team ready to go:The goal, Patel says, is to continuously cycle through all of Frameworks actively supported laptops, updating each of them one at a time before looping back around and starting the process over again. Functionality-breaking problems and security fixes will take precedence, while additional features and user requests will be lower-priority.FYI, Framework didnt send me that promised Laptop 16 replacement to show itd fixed issues before launch. Hope so!Frameworks software and firmware have been a mess, but its working on them[Ars Technica]Feb 21, 2024Wes DavisFramework is selling a cheap modular laptopA picture of the Framework 13 from The Verges 2021 review. Photo by Monica Chin / The VergeFramework is now selling a $499 version of its modular 2021 Laptop 13, a barebones configuration equipped with an 11th-generation Intel i7-1165G7 CPU (Intel is now on its 14th generation for mobile processors). The company says this is a first for its affordable B-stock Factory Seconds machines that use leftover parts and ship without memory or storage included. So its cheap, but youll need to provide a couple of parts on your own.Framework writes in its announcement that its also selling refurbished DDR4 RAM for half what it would cost new to reduce the all-in price. The base B-stock Laptop 13 configuration is one step up from the version that Monica Chin said in her Verge review was uniquely friendly to user upgrades, but notably lacked available screen or GPU upgrades.Read Article >Jan 25, 2024Sean HollisterFramework will send us another Framework Laptop 16 and heres what it will fix.We told Framework we had several different stability issues, so I was a little frustrated to see the companys CEO suggest I only encountered one... but Im happy to say Framework will send The Verge a final production unit with quite a list of hardware and software fixes!The DPC_Watchdog_Violation freeze, at least, does seem to be fixed in my testing with a newer BIOS.Framework total list of issues that weve resolved on customer units[u/cmonkey (Reddit)]Jan 23, 2024Sean HollisterFramework Laptop 16 review: two weeks with the ultimate modular laptopThe Framework Laptop 16. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeThe Framework Laptop 16 is the most ambitious notebook Ive ever touched. Theres never been anything like it before. Theres so much to cover that it wont fit in this review, so Im hosting an AMA today on The Verge to answer your burning questions.Never has a computer company made a laptop so user-repairable, so customizable, so modular. Never have I owned a laptop thats a workhorse by day, physically transforms into a competent gaming PC by night, then morphs into an RGB-LED-studded five-screen DJ controller when the mood strikes. Never have I swapped out a laptops entire butt for a bigger one containing a discrete graphics card, then powered the whole rig with a worlds first 180-watt USB-C PD power supply. And never have I been able to lift out a laptops keyboard and touchpad, shift them to the left or right, then add a numpad, or a matrix of dazzling LEDs, or a simple pop of color alongside. Read Article >Jan 23, 2024Sean HollisterAMA: I reviewed the Framework Laptop 16, ask me anything at 12PM ET!I am unreasonably excited about the ridiculously modular Framework Laptop 16. I did loads of testing that didnt quite fit into my review, so... Ill answer your burning questions at 12PM ET and throughout the day, and you can begin adding em now! Hit that comments button and youll see our Q&A module.Dont be shy: Ive got this machine right here and am happy to quickly test and measure things for you.Oct 11, 2023Monica ChinFramework Laptop 13 (AMD) review: buy this one if you canThe competition between Intel and AMD is a tale as old as time. And here, in the unobtrusive and unsuspecting Framework Laptop 13, that competition comes to a head. Because, for the first time, this modular 13-inch machine allows you to fully swap an Intel processor with an AMD processor (or, I do suppose, vice versa). Itll cost you as little as $449 (the price of a Ryzen 5 mainboard) and half an hour of your time.Its great that an AMD Framework exists, both for folks who already own an Intel version but want to upgrade and for those who are shopping for the first time and will benefit from more choice. Its also great for me personally because it creates a controlled experiment. It allows me to put two competing chips side by side in a literally identical chassis and test them out. Theres not even a price differential: the two systems are the same price, with prebuilts starting at $1,049 and DIY kits at $849 in both cases.Read Article >Oct 6, 2023Sean HollisterLenovo exec promises 80 percent of its devices will be consumer-repairable by 2025Lenovos rollable laptop concept. Photo by Jon Porter / The VergeAt first, Lenovo only seemed casually jealous of Frameworks modular repairable laptops first, it sent a cease-and-desist over a Framework power button, then it unveiled its own modular concept laptop dubbed Project Aurora with no promise to actually build such a thing.But it looks like the ThinkPad and Motorola owner might actually be serious about ramping up repairability. More than 80 percent of our devices will be able to be repaired at the customer, Lenovo executive Luca Rossi told the Canalys EMEA Forum 2023, according to The Register.Read Article >Sep 8, 2023Sean HollisterFramework is finally working on a full-size SD card moduleThis is not Frameworks module but rather a community design by zero0d. Image: zero0dYou can hot-swap a DisplayPort, ethernet, even an extra 3.5mm audio jack into your modular Framework laptop and today, the company is finally beginning work on a full-size SD Expansion Card to go with them.But seriously, its just beginning that work: the company says its breaking tradition by pre-announcing a module that may never ship. Weve set a target for what we want it to be, but as we proceed and learn, theres a chance it could change or even be canceled, Framework writes. Dont worry: its not trying to cash in ahead of time; the idea is by doing it this way, Framework can take you behind the scenes.Read Article >Jul 19, 2023Sean HollisterHow Dell dodged a class action suit over Alienware Area-51m GPU upgradesThe Alienware Area-51m. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeIn 2021, Dell got sued because one year after hyping up an Alienware laptop that supposedly let you upgrade its discrete GPU, the company didnt follow through.The story of the Alienware Area-51m is pretty dang relevant today because Framework just opened preorders for another laptop that offers the same.Read Article >Jul 19, 2023Tom WarrenIntel mini NUC computers get a second life thanks to AsusImage: IntelIntel announced earlier this week that its compact and upgradable NUC computers were being discontinued, but now Asus is stepping in to manufacture and develop future NUC systems instead. While Intel wont be making its cute small form factor PCs anymore, Asus will receive a non-exclusive license to Intels NUC (Next Unit of Computing) product designs.As we pivot our strategy to enable ecosystem partners to continue NUC systems product innovation and growth, our priority is to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and partners, says Sam Gao, general manager of Intel Client Platform Solutions. I am looking forward to ASUS continuing to deliver exceptional products and supporting our NUC systems customers.Read Article >Jul 17, 2023Umar ShakirLenovo ponders repairable laptops with Project Aurora.Digital Trends got a preview of Lenovos Aurora design that comes apart without the use of so much as a screwdriver. The company is the latest to look towards sustainable notebook designs following the successful release of Frameworks modular laptops. Theyre a DIY dream come true thanks to easy upgrades to basically any component, which as the Framework 16 now includes graphics too.Dell also announced a similar Project Luna concept late last year.Lenovos Project Aurora concept. Image: Digital Trends / LenovoJul 11, 2023Umar ShakirIntel is quitting on its adorable, powerful, and upgradable mini NUC computersThis Intel NUC 9 Extreme was one of the larger of the mini-computer line and had more gaming horsepower. Photo by Dan Seifert / The VergeIntels NUC computers are super compact, upgradable, and even powerful but now, theyre being discontinued. ServeTheHome first reported that Intel is giving up on the personal computer business and will no longer be making its cute small form factor PCs.In an email to The Verge, Intels EMEA comms manager of client computing and graphics, Mark Walton, confirmed the news and issued the following statement:Read Article >May 17, 2023Monica ChinFramework Laptop 13 review: a DIY dream come trueFramework has released a 2023 version of its 13-inch modular laptop. And folks, it is exactly the same as the 2022 model.Okay, so, I mean, thats not quite true. There is an AMD option now, but I dont yet have that one to review. Ive been testing the pre-built Intel model, which includes a 13th Gen Core i7-1360P. The battery is also larger, coming in at 61Wh. There are a couple other small things about the chassis. Theres a new matte display option and a new speaker system. But I am going to tell you right now that using the 2023 Framework Laptop 13 feels exactly like using the 2022 Framework Laptop. The experiences are basically identical.Read Article >May 3, 2023Monica ChinFinally, you can put an AMD processor in the Framework LaptopTwo Frameworks enter... Image: FrameworkFramework has announced the 2023 edition of its modular 13-inch laptop. The big news is that not only is there a 13th-Gen Intel configuration for sale, but theres also an AMD Ryzen 7040 option available. Thats right. Finally, an AMD option.One of the difficulties I had in reviewing last years Framework Laptop was that the Intel processor didnt quite measure up to everything else that was great about the device. Im obsessed with the Framework as a concept whats not to love about a repairable, fully upgradable notebook? but as a daily driver, it was a bit unremarkable, and battery life was particularly disappointing.Read Article >Apr 2, 2023Dan SeifertFrameworks computers arent perfect, but they are excitingThe new Framework Laptop 16. Image: FrameworkIts not often that I get too excited about new laptops these days. Modern laptops are extremely capable devices, with few glaring flaws. They are thin, light, and finely tuned to get the job done. Exciting, they are not.But Frameworks laptops are exciting. Under the banner of repairability and sustainability, Framework is making computers that seem to be exactly what enthusiasts have been asking for for literal decades. Nearly every part of a Framework Laptop can be repaired, replaced, or upgraded by its owner. Want a faster CPU or more RAM? Just swap the board and click in some more RAM sticks, and youre off to the races. The company is even coming out with a gaming-focused laptop that promises the ability to upgrade its GPU down the line. Read Article >More Stories